Portable stages comprising about all structural elements on a single chassis and that can be hauled by a vehicle when stowed are a very suitable alternative for static stages or temporary stages that need to be constructed by skilled workers. Such portable stages are generally mounted on a chassis having ground engaged wheels for overland transportation. Once on site, the portable stage is set very rapidly by a limited crew in outdoor or indoor locations, such as parks, stadiums, etc.
The portable stages usually comprise columns for supporting a movable roof. These columns are often telescopic and comprise a plurality of concentric beams slidable relative to each other. One particular problem with such telescopic columns is that a slight uneven weight distribution may off centered beams and jam the movement thereof relative to each other, especially when the roof is lowered. The beams will then have to be realigned perfectly for ensuring proper sliding and this may be very much time consuming.